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VICTIMS
OF VIOLENCE PROGRAM - CLINICAL SERVICES
VOV offers a
wide range of services to held people, groups, and communities understand
and deal with traumatic events. Our efforts cover the areas of crisis
response and intervention, assessments, and longer term clinical
care to trauma victims, including groups for people affected by
trauma.
Current programs
are as follows:
Clinical care at VOV is guided by an ecological view of psychological
trauma, and a "stages by dimensions" understanding of
trauma recovery. We understand that people who suffer violence are
not alone; they live in a network of relationships and communities
which may serve to aid in their healing.
Our "stages
by dimensions" model of recovery identifies various dimensions
of people's lives that are affected by violence and abuse and in
which healing work may need to be focused. It also means that healing
occurs in stages, so we focus first on securing and maintaining
personal safety, then on dealing with the major effects of violence,
and eventually move to forming new, more empowered relationships
with others.
Many of our programs rely on grant funding to help communities and
community settings afflicted by violence.
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VICTIMS
OF VIOLENCE - GENERAL SERVICES
People who have been
victimized sometimes feel isolated and alone, reluctant to reach
out to others. But reaching out is important, and seeking help is
part of the healing process.
To help those in need,
VOV offers confidential services to victims, families, friends,
and witnesses. These services include:
- Crisis Intervention
and Support. VOV staff respond within 72 hours and remain
available throughout the first weeks and months of recovery.
- Psychotherapy.
Our expert staff will evaluate and assess patients and provide
ongoing psychotherapy to help them cope with their experiences.
- Group Programs.
There are a wide range of psychotherapy groups available for adults
dealing with the after effects of trauma.
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Call 617-591-6033
to make a referral or schedule an initial appointment with the VOV
team.
VOV
Brochure
VOV
Groups
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COMMUNITY
CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM (CCRT)
Crime and violence affect
entire communities. Violent events have a traumatic impact on victims,
witnesses, families, friends, coworkers, and neighbors.
CCRT helps community
members cope with traumatic and violent events by offering short-term
crisis intervention and consultation services to affected communities.
Because each event is
unique, CCRT tailors its services by working closely with members
of the community to understand local needs and develop response
plans.
CCRT Services
- Help communities plan
and implement their own crisis response efforts
- Provide community
"debriefing" meetings for those directed by a traumatic
event. These meetings help people regain a sense of control over
their lives and help foster community-wide coping and support
- Training local service
providers in understanding the psychological impact of acute and
chronic trauma
- Follow-up assistance
to affected communities
About the CCRT
The CCRT was founded
in 1988 in response to an absence of coordinated services for community
groups traumatized by violence.
The team brings together
representatives from mental health, social service, criminal justice,
medical, religious, educational and other human services agencies
in the Greater Boston area. All agencies participate on a voluntary
basis.
This allows CCRT to plan
responses to different events to address the specific needs of the
individuals affected.
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Community
Crisis Response Team
26 Central St.,
Somerville, MA 02143
617-498-1180
CCRT
Brochure
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VICTIM
ADVOCACY AND SUPPORT TEAM (VAST)
If you or someone you love has been affected by violence, hatred
or abuse, the Victim Advocacy and Support Team is here to help you
rebuild your life
Violence or abuse can happen to anyone. Victims of violence or abuse
sometimes feel isolated and alone, reluctant to reach out to others.
You may experience feelings
of fear, numbness and shock, helplessness, anger, anxiety, depression
and even guilt or self-blame. You may have questions about how to
cope with your physical injuries, how to heal from the emotional
impact of your experiences, how to file a report with the police,
and what the court process would be like for you. Or you may just
want someone to talk to - someone who understands.
VAST - Who We Are
We are advocates, experienced
in the areas of trauma, victimization, and the criminal justice
system. We work directly with victims to make sure that they have
access to community resources, medical services and the courts.
Our services are always confidential and are provided at no cost.
What We Do
- We provide crisis
counseling and support for you and your loved ones
- We assist with safety
planning for you and your family
- We act as a liaison
with social service agencies, the courts and police
- We make appropriate
referrals to health, legal and other community services to ensure
that each client gets the best possible care, advice, and support
- We assist with filing
for Victim Compensation
- We offer training
and consultation services to the community
This program is supported
by The Massachusetts Office for Victims Assistance (MOVA) through
the 1984 VOCA grant from OVC, OJP, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Victim
Advocacy and Support Team
26 Central St.,
Somerville, MA 02143
617-665-2992
VAST
Brochure
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CENTER
FOR HOMICIDE BEREAVEMENT
No time to say
goodbye…when a loved one is murdered.
The Center for Homicide
Bereavement is committed to supporting those who are suffering the
loss of a loved one. Too often, homicide survivors are left to both
grieve an unexpected loss but also to come to terms with the violent
and intentional nature of a loved one's death.
Survivors often feel
alone in their struggle and their grief. Family and friends sometimes
don't seem to understand or know how to offer support.
Program Services
Services are available
for adults children, and families and are free of charge, They include:
- Crisis intervention
and ongoing counseling for families and people of all ages
- Support groups that
offer children and adult survivors a safe place to receive support,
share concerns, and find new ways of coping
- Victim advocacy, consultation,
and support
- Information on and
referral to other services
This program is supported
by the Massachusetts Office for Victims Assistance (MOVA) through
the 1984 VOCA grant from OVC, OJP, and the U.S. Department of Justice.
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Contact Holly
Aldrich, LICSW at 6517-591-6123
CHB
Brochure
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FIRST
RESPONDERS WELLNESS PROGRAM (FRWP)
The First Responder Wellness
Program is funded by an American Red Cross September 11 recovery
grant to provide services that promote wellness and contribute to
the prevention of post traumatic stress and secondary trauma in
first responders and mental health providers impacted by the events
of 9/11/01.
The FRWP was initially
co-developed in 2002 by the CHA Victims of Violence Program and
members of the Cambridge Fire Department and Local 30 to provide
Wellness services to first responders impacted by the events of
9/11/01.
Since January 2005, the
program has also offered workshops to 9/11 providers who worked
with bereaved families and first responders through the ARC September
11 recovery grant.
Problems experienced
by First Responders
Surveys of First Responders,
show that over 70% of respondents reported noticing changes in themselves
in the immediate aftermath of their 9/11 work.
The most commonly endorsed
problems included difficulty separating their professional and personal
lives, feeling preoccupied with and/or over-identified with their
clients, feeling jumpy or easily startled, experiencing sleep difficulties,
dealing with unwanted frightening thoughts and images, and feeling
disconnected from others.
Overwhelming grief, fear
of flying, fear of separation from family members, and activation
of personal trauma histories were also reported.
The nature of this disaster
has been one in which individual clients have had multiple and diverse
needs. These issues underscore the importance of effective coordination
of services and
advocacy to ensure appropriate and adequate access, as well as the
importance of communication through well established networking
systems.
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First Responders
Wellness Program
Lynda Bolduc-Hicks,
PhD
857-523-0923
Email
FWRP
Brochure
First Responders
Wellness Newsletter
Summer
2006 (PDF)
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